The centre of the town of Pieri, in Jonglei state, 2017 © Amandine Colin/MSF.

The medical Charity, MSF, says it has resumed its operations in Pieri area days after suspending its there due to tribal conflict.

The weekend fighting is one of the series of deadly conflict in greater Jonglei this year.

In the attacks, one of its staff was killed and two others injured in the greater Akobo, making the medical charity to suspend its activities for three days.

Steve MacKay is the MSF deputy head of mission in South Sudan.

“The activities in Pieri were interrupted very briefly in recent days as a result of fighting in the area, we were absolutely active again by Tuesday morning of this week,” told Eye Radio on Thursday.

“Just a few days ago the interruption was less than three days, but it was early Saturday morning when our team left the facility, I know they were able to go back a couple of times to check on the condition of the facility in those intervening days and they started again as soon as they felt safe.”

Condemnation

On Wednesday, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, Alain Noudéhou, strongly condemned the killing of three aid workers in Jonglei, in northeastern South Sudan, and called for an end to recurring acts of violence which are disrupting life-saving assistance and COVID-19 response in many parts of the country.

“The Government, all parties and communities must step up efforts to protect humanitarians who are taking great risks to their safety in order to provide much-needed assistance to the most vulnerable people in South Sudan,” said Mr. Noudéhou. 

In addition to intercommunal violence in several locations, the armed conflict has persisted in Central and Eastern Equatorias over the past months, displacing thousands of people and adding to the over 7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance throughout the country.

Most of the affected people are women and children. This conflict has also disrupted the surveillance of desert locusts, another threat to an already fragile situation.

Intercommunal clashes and armed conflict are hampering humanitarian efforts to pre-position food, medicine, and other aid supplies in the final weeks before the rains become heavier and cut off road access to vulnerable communities.

“The violence must therefore stop and humanitarians must be able to reach affected communities freely and without fear,” the Humanitarian Coordinator said.